Drawer and stabilizing means therefor



Dec. 18, 1956 R. A. PATTERSON 2,

DRAWER AND STABILIZING MEANS THEREFOR Fil ed Feb. 15, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1; Fig. I

IN V EN TOR. RAY A. PATTERSON ATTORNEY IN FACT FOR Avrucmr R. A. PATTERSON 2,774,644

Dec. 18, 1956 DRAWER AND STABILIZING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 15, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RAY A. PATTERSON ATTORNZY IN FMLY FOR APFLItANT United States Patent f 2,774,644 DRAWER AND STABILIZING MEANS THEREFOR Ray A. Patterson, El Cajon, Calif.

Application February 15, 1954, Serial No. 410,324

4 Claims. (Cl. 312331) The present invention relates generally to storage drawers and more particularly to a drawer and stabilizing means therefor.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a drawer which is supported in a level position at all times during opening and closing by a novel stabilizing mechanism.

Another object of this invention is to provide a deep upright drawer having vertically spaced shelves which are accessible from the sides, the stabilizing mechanism being ideally suited for supporting such deep drawers.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drawer which is especially suitable for installation in kitchen cabinet structures or the like, and is adapted for the storage of canned goods, foods and other kitchen articles.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drawer stabilizing means which requires extremely little space when the drawer is retracted, with the result that the drawer can be made full size and still be properly stabilized in the open positionand during the opening movement.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drawer stabilizing means which requires extremely little space of drawer styles and sizes, the invention being by no means limited to kitchen cabinets.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stabilizing mechanism which is extremely friction free, the drawer being supported on a single roller.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drawer and stabilizing mechanism which is adapted for fabrication from many different materials, so that the choice of material can be according to the dictates of availability and price considerations, the exact sizes and proportions being matters easily determined to suit particular conditions and needs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drawer and stabilizing mechanism which is inexpensive and practicable to manufacture.

Finally, it is an objectto provide a drawer and stabilizing mechanism of the aforementioned character which is simple and convenient to operate, and which will give generally efiicient and durable service. 7

With these and other objects definitely in view, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions, as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawings which form a material part of this disclosure and wherein similar characters of reference indicate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the views of the drawings, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of the drawer and stabilizing mechanism installed in a cabinet, the side panel of the cabinet being omitted for clarity.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective viewof the stabilizing 2,774,644 Patented Dec. 1956 "ice 2 mechanism, the drawer being indicated in broken lines for clarity.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to the lower portion of Fig. 3, showing the track and roller.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation view similar to the lower portion of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation view of a modified form of the drawer structure.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation view of a further modified form of the drawer structure.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a side elevational view of a further modified form ofthe drawer structure.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a side elevation view of a further modified form of the drawer structure.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken on the line 1515 of Fig. 14.

Referring now to the drawing, and in particular to Figs. 1-7, the structure includes a drawer 10 having a bottom panel 12, a back panel 14 and a front panel 16. Recessed into the bottom panel 12 is a guide channel 18 which rests on a roller 20, said roller being supported on a track 22. Secured to the rear end of the track 22 is an upright post 24 to which is pivotally attached the stabilizing mechanism 26.

The stabilizing mechanism 26 includes a generally Y-shaped yoke 28 comprising a pair of levers or arms 30 spaced to fit on either side of the post 24 and secured together adjacent said post by a tie plate 32. The closely spaced ends 34 of the levers or arms 30 are pivotally attached to the upper end of the post 24 by a pin 36, said arms diverging so that their free ends 38 are spaced substantially further apart than the width of the track 22. Pivotally attached to the ends 38 are two lower stabilizing rods 40, the other ends of which are pivotally attached to the ends of a bracket 42. The bracket 42 is secured to the back panel 14 by screws 44 and is positioned a short distance above the lower edge of the panel as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Pivotally attached to the levers or arms 30 intermediate their ends are two upper stabilizing rods 46, the other ends of which are pivotally attached to the ends of a bracket 48 secured to the back panel 14 by means of screws 44 adjacent the upper edge of said panel. The bracket 48 is substantially narrower than the bracket 42 to provide clearance for the upper stabilizing rods 46 in the folded position. The ends of the stabilizing rods 40 and 46 may be retained by splitting and spreading the split ends apart, as indicated at 50 in Fig. 4, although other suitable methods may be used if desired.

The track 22 comprises a pair of spaced rails 52, each substantially L-shaped in cross section. At their rear ends, the rails 52 are secured firmly to the post 24, and are intermediately separated by a stop block 54. Adjacent the stop block 54, the upright flanges 56 of the rails 52 are joggled outwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, so that in the forward portion 58 of the track 22, the rails are spaced slightly further apart than in the rear portion. At the forward end of one of the rails 52 is fixed a laterally and upwardly projecting stop plate 60.

avmeaa clear of the shaft 62. Thus the drawer rests on the full diameter portion of the roller 24 while only the reduced diameter shaft 62 rests on the rails 52.

The drawer 10 is fitted with an upright dividing panel 64 extending the full depth of the drawer between the front panel 16 and the back panel 14. On either side of the dividing panel 64 and slightly below the upper edge thereof are shelves 66, which slope downwardly and inwardly. Between the shelves 66 and the bottom panel 12 are a plurality of vertically spaced pairs of support rods 68 secured horizontally between the front panel 16 and back panel 14. The support rods 68 are inserted through openings '70 in the back panel 14 and forced into sockets '72 in the front panel 16, the rear ends of said rods being retained by staples 74 or the like, as shown in Fig. 6.

The drawer and its stabilizing mechanism are installed in a suitable supporting structure such as the cabinet 76, which is shown for illustrative purposes only, the exact nature if the supporting structure being of little importance to this disclosure. The principal requisite of the cabinet 76 for the instant purpose, is the baseboard 78 to which the track 22 is secured by means of clamps 80 held in place by screws 82. Other means may be used to secure the track 22 according to the specific supporting structure in which the device is installed. It will be seen that the baseboard 78 does not extend completely to the rear of the cabinet 76, a small clearance space being provided for the stabilizing mechanism 26 to fold as the drawer is closed.

In the fully closed position, as shown in dotted line in Fig. 1, the stabilizing mechanism 26 is folded in a generally upright position in axial alignment with the post 24. The different widths of the brackets 42 and 48 and the use of the .-shaped yoke 2%, allow the stabilizing mechanism 26 to fold completely fiat into a thickness no greater than the width of the post 24. The geometry of the stabilizing mechanism is such that the drawer 10 is held upright during its lateral movement, the brackets 42 and 48 remaining in direct vertical alignment at all times during the opening and closing movements.

The particular design of the drawer 10 enables a large quantity of goods to be stored in easily accessible positions in the minimum of space. The structure is particularly suitable for installation in a kitchen, the drawers being constructed to fit beneath the normal kitchen counter and extending almost to the floor, the conventional toe space being provided as indicated at 84 in Fig. 1. The pairs of support rods 68 are arranged to hold canned goods in a horizontal position as indicated at 86 in Fig. 3, the cans being seated between the rods and prevented from rolling. In this position the cans are readily visible and accessible at all times. The shelves 66 are suitable for storing packaged g oods as shown at 88 in Fig. 2, the slope of the shelf holding each package with its inner upper corner against the dividing panel 64. The additional friction of this upper corner resting on the dividing panel prevents the package from toppling when the drawer is opened quickly.

The novel arrangement of the roller 20 ensures adequate support for the drawer 1d at all times. Due to the difference between the diameter of the roller 20 itself and the shaft 62, the roller moves but a short distance along the track 22 as the drawer is opened. In other words, the full diameter of the roller 26 rolling in the guide channel 18 as the drawer is opened rotates the roller a certain number of times. The shaft 62 rotates a like number of revolutions but, due to its smaller diameter progresses only a short distance along the track 22. Thus in the fully open position, the roller 20 is at the forward end of the track 22 supporting the rear corner of the drawer 10 with the main load of the drawer in. tension on the stabilizing mechanism 26. In the fully closed position, the position most occupied by the drawer, the roller 20 is only a short distance from the front of the drawer, so that the load is partially on the roller itself and partially in compression on the stabilizing mechanism 26. This simple arrangement eliminates the necessity for a full length roller slide mechanism secured to the drawer, and will not jam or bind in operation due to misalignment. The roller 20 is limited in its rearward travel by the stop block 54 to prevent its shifting from the forward portion 58 of the track 22.

As an additional precaution, the forward travel of the drawer 10 is limited by a stop pad secured to the lower edge of the back panel 14, said step pad being positioned to strike the stop plate 60 when the drawer is fully opened. To facilitate opening the drawer 10 a suitable pull handle 91 is fitted to the front panel 16 in a convenient position.

It has been found in practice that the stabilizing mechanism described herein is capable of supporting a heavily loaded drawer in level alignment for prolonged periods of use, and is generally free from side play or other unnecessary instability. The device may be fitted into any convenient structure having a suitable sized opening merely by securing the track 22 to a firm baseboard within the structure, the entire mechanism being supported by said track.

The drawer itself may be constructed in various forms to suit specific purposes, other particularly useful structures being illustrated in Figs. 8-15. All of the drawers are constructed on the assembly of the bottom panel 12, back panel 14 and front panel 16 as previously described.

The drawer 92 shown in Figs. 8 and 9 has a dividing panel 94 extending the full depth of the drawer. On each side of the dividing panel 94 adjacent the upper end is a sloping shelf 96, a second sloping shelf 98 being fitted on one side of the dividing panel vertically spaced below the upper shelf. On the other side of the dividing panel 94 between the shelf 96 and the bottom panel 12 are a plurality of vertically spaced pairs of support rods 68 secured as previously described. A can 86 is shown in place on the support rods 68 and a package 100 is shown on the shelf 98 for purposes of illustration.

The drawer 102 illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 has a full depth dividing panel 64, on either side of which are two vertically spaced sloping shelves 66, the structure being similar to that of the drawer 10 with additional shelves in place of the rods 68.

The drawer 104 illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13 has a full depth side panel 106 and a plurality of vertically spaced, sloping shelves 108 extending across the full width of the drawer. This particular drawer 104 is suitable for storage of pots, pans and other kitchenware, all the articles being stored in easily accessible positions.

The drawer 110 shown in Figs. 14 and 15 has a bin 112 in the upper portion thereof, said bin beingv enclosed by side panels 114 and a lower panel 116. Below the bin 112 area pair of support rods 68 conveniently spaced to hold a considerable quantity of canned goods. The bin 112 may be used to hold vegetables or other bulk goods.

It will be evident that by installing several drawers of the various constructions described herein in a suitable cabinet, an extremely compact storage unit is obtained. The different drawers provide considerable storage space for the majority of foods and kitchen articles and certain of the drawers are equally suitable for storage of other types of articles where accessibility is a prime requisite.

The operation of this invention will be clearly comprehended from a consideration of the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof, taken in connection with the drawing and the above recited objects. It will be obviou that all said objects are amply achieved by this invention.

Eart en descript n ould, app r to be unn es ry- It is understood that minor variation from the forms of the invention disclosed herein may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed herein, and that the specification and drawing are to be considered as merely illustrative rather than limiting.

I claim:

1. A drawer and stabilizing means therefor for installation in an enclosure structure having a baseboard, said drawer having a bottom panel and a back panel and being substantially open on at least one side, said stabilizing means comprising a track for attachment to the baseboard, a free roller movable along said track, a rigid elongated member on said bottom panel and riding on said roller, an upright post disposed to the rear of said back panel and at one end of said track, a lever member pivotally attached to the upper end of said post, stabilizing rods pivoted directly upon said lever at spaced positions, said stabilizing rods being pivotally attached to said back panel at vertically spaced positions, said track extending to the rear of said back panel when the drawer is in retracted position and said lever and stabilizing rods being disposed behind said back panel of the drawer in all positions thereof.

2. A drawer and stabilizing means therefor for installation in an enclosure structure having a baseboard, said drawer having a bottom panel and a back panel and being substantially open on at least one side, said stabilizing means comprising a track for attachment to the baseboard, said track constituting a pair of spaced rails, a free roller having a shaft extending therefrom, said roller being movable along said track and guided thereby with said shaft riding on said rails, a guide channel in said bottom panel to rest on said roller, an upright post secured at one end of said track, a yoke pivotally attached to the upper end of said post, said yoke comprising a pair of arms diverging toward their free ends, stabilizing rods pivotally attached to said arms at two positions, said stabilizing rods being pivotally attached to said back panel at vertically spaced positions.

3. A drawer and stabilizing means therefor for installation in an enclosure structure having a baseboard, said drawer having a bottom panel and a back panel and being substantially open on at least one side, said stabilizing means comprising a track for attachment to the baseboard, said track constituting a pair of spaced rails, a free roller having a shaft extending therefrom, said roller being movable along said track and guided thereby with said shaft riding on said rails, a guide channel in said bottom panel to rest on said roller, an upright post secured at one end of said track, a yoke pivotally attached to the upper end of said post, said yoke comprising a pair of arms diverging toward their free ends, lower stabilizing rods pivotally attached to the free ends of said arms, upper stabilizing rods pivotally attached to said arms intermediate their ends, said lower and upper stabilizing rods being pivotally attached to said back panel in vertically spaced positions.

4. A drawer and stabilizing means therefor for installation in an enclosure structure having a baseboard, said drawer having a bottom panel and a back panel and being substantially open on at least one side, said stabilizing means comprising a track for attachment to the baseboard, said track constituting a pair of spaced rails, a free roller having a shaft extending therefrom, said roller being movable along said track and guided thereby with said shaft riding on said rails, a guide channel in said bottom panel to rest on said roller, an upright post secured at one end of said track, a yoke pivotally attached to the upper end of said post, said yoke comprising a pair of arms diverging toward their free ends, lower stabilizing rods pivotally attached to the free ends of said arms, upper stabilizing rods pivotally attached to said arms intermediate their ends, a lower bracket on said back panel, said lower stabilizing rods being pivotally attached to said lower bracket, an upper bracket on said back panel, said upper stabilizing rods being pivotally attached to said upper bracket, said upper bracket being substantially narrower than said lower bracket, whereby said upper stabilizing rods lie between said lower stabilizing rods in folded position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 435,974 Montigny Sept. 9, 1890 583,228 Hamilton May 25, 1897 637,361 Suters Nov. 21, 1899 1,236,324 Leonard Aug. 7, 1917 1,315,922 Franklin Sept. 9, 1919 1,418,054 Bayer May 30, 1922 1,694,520 Sturdavant Dec. 11, 1928 

